Effects of Immunization of Guinea Pigs Lacking Bactericidal Antibody against Salmonella Enteritidis

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Abstract
Summary: Guinea pigs in this study were deficient in bactericidal antibodies against a serum-sensitive mutant strain of Salmonella enteritidis derived from a serum-resistant parent. Intraperitoneal challenge of such animals with 102 or 103 bacteria of the parent strain killed 8 or 9 animals and a similar challenge with the sensitive strain killed 10 of 14. Immunization with either strain resulted in good protection against the mutant and the parent strain. Bacteria of the serum-sensitive mutant strain multiplied in i.p. diffusion chambers in unimmunized guinea pigs. After immunization with this strain a bactericidal effect in such chambers was demonstrated against it but not against its resistant parent. Immunization with an antigenically unrelated Escherichia coli strain, or with a Salmonella typhimurium strain which has a related 012 factor, produced no bactericidal effect in the chamber upon the mutant S. enteritidis. Immunization with the S. typhimurium resulted in only low titers of bactericidal antibody against the S. enteritidis, suggesting that the 09 antigenic factor of the latter is of major importance to the bactericidal action of serum in the susceptibility of the S. enteritidis. It is postulated that the rarity of occurrence of tyvelose, the sugar most responsible for the 09 antigenic determinant, accounts for the lack of naturally-occurring antibodies in these animals. Such a deficiency may be responsible for the susceptibility of the unimmunized animals to challenge.

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